How to Save a Life
by Marie Writer
Summary: Pre-romance - Emma/August. The curse is broken and all Emma can really think about is what August said would save him, so she runs back to his room in hopes he was no longer a puppet with no strings but the man who helped her believe, who hadn't given up on her... the man she'd come to love. - Not a song fic - Title change from "To Break a Curse is to Save a Life".


_This is probably longer than it needs to be but I just felt I needed to make sure it wasn't to choppy and end too quickly… I also wanted to add a sense of tenderness to Emma/August. I hope it doesn't bore you too much but… *shrugs* if you can… just give it a chance. _

_Enjoy!_

X.x.X.x

"Lukily for us… You're not normal…" August had pain in his eyes as he looked up at her, he wished he could move just to touch her… hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright – but he didn't deserve to wish anymore he was beyond that. He never told her how much he cared for her, never even showed it but now he wish he had but she didn't need to hear that now not after all she has to believe in now. Instead: "You can save Henry… you ca-"

"No… no August stay with me!" She said suddenly and brushed his hair gently before cupping the sides of his face, Emma could feel his flesh changing to wood under her fingertips. "August I'm sorry… I'm so sorry I didn't believe you… " she cried hopelessly, "I'm sorry I can't save you." She whispered her face close enough so he can feel her breath on his transforming skin.

"You still ca-" his eyes froze on her face as a strange feeling engulfed all other senses, _this is what it's like to die_. He felt his eyes shift away from her horror-stricken face to look up at his off-white ceiling above, _you'll save me Emma…_ he knew it.

X.x.X.x

"What do you mean 'magic is back', Henry? What does that mean?" She asked desperately, kneeling in front of her son with her hands grasping his arms firmly. "Why didn't everyone just go back to the enchanted forest?"

"Emma I don't know…" He said his eyes wide, slightly intimidated by her sudden desperation to the situation he had spent the past year trying to convince her of. Since the curse had been broken Emma had taken the young boy home at this point 'magic' has been around for at least 30 minutes by her count and she didn't know what that meant.

She sighed heavily and grabbed at the book of fairytales that was on the kitchen counter to her left. "Henry, you have to know. What's wrong that things aren't fixing themselves?"

"I don't know." He said in a tone that held a final statement kind of tinge to it.

Emma wanted to yell at him but how could she, she was only truly aware of how deep this whole situation was because he had bit into a poison apple turnover that the evil queen had given him. Instead she stood her mouth open to say her next string of questions but was interrupted by Mary Margret flying through the door, David right behind.

Already frantic they slammed the door closed and locked it and as they turned around they both froze realizing now who their friend really was. "My Emma…" Mary Margret breathed and ran to her best friend and daughter to pull her into a hug for her it was a whole new experience since she was now holding her daughter not just her friend but for the other woman it seemed the same except for that little voice that now told her that this woman, who is the same age as her, is her mother.

"Ma-Mom?" She tried and Snow White pulled away with the brilliant smile she always seemed to wear.

"Yes…" She smiled even wider, "Yes it's me… and this" She opened up a space for David to step in. "This is your father."

Emma smiled and hugged them both, still trying to remind herself who, exactly, these two people were.

"What's going on with this whole 'magic thing?" She asked, also reminding herself their current situation.

"It means that Regina is about to get revenge, again." Mary Mar- _Snow White…mom - _Emma reminded herself again – said.

"But magic… so, happy ending… true love's kiss… that whole thing?" Emma asked her eyes squinted and arms folded across her chest.

Both her parents nodded to confirm and she blinked a couple times as she thought and put her hands on her hips while she began to pace. "So that's good right? That's how you kept beating her in the first place… right?" She asked and looked between her parents and son for confirmation.

"We mean," Snow started, "Yes, that's how we did it but it wasn't easy."

Finally she stopped pacing the wood floor and put her hand to her chin before running it up to her head to run her fingers through her blond hair. "I don't need easy just do-able." She let her hands fall back to her sides before pointing at Henry but looking at Mary and David. "Watch him for me?" She asked and went for the door before she even got a nod and ripped it open.

X.x.X.x

Emma slowly placed her hand on the door handle to Augusts' room hesitant to step in if she broke the curse then he should be back, _right?_

Unlike her first entrance before, when she just kicked it in, she pushed it open slowly."Please be alive August…" She whispered. It creaked slowly and she hesitated to actually poke her head around the door as she followed it in, hand still on the handle for support.

When she finally got the nerve to look around the wooden door to the bed that lay to the far right of the room she felt her knees go weak. "No, you should be okay!" She shouted angrily and moved onto the bed in just a few fluid motions. "I broke the curse August… I saved everyone but now magic is back and Regina's gonna stir the pot up some more, I need your help. You have to tell me what to do!" She cried wanting to pound on his chest as though it would jumpstart his heart back into a beating muscle.

Instead she took his left hand, which was still lying on his wooden chest, gently in hers and laid it on her lap so her hand was holding his with the back of his hand lying on her upper left thigh. Emma laid her other hand on his forearm and massaged the stained wood with her fingertips as though it would make August more comfortable.

When there was no reaction she sagged and laid his hand by his side before scooting up further on the bed so she was sitting by his shoulders instead of his side. Her eyes studied his frozen features if she hadn't known any better she would have said that the woodwork was beautiful and someone had a real talent for crafting with wood but she _did_ know better and the thought just brought tears to her eyes. She hadn't been able to save Graham who she now knows what telling the truth the whole time, she hadn't been able to help Jefferson who was _actually _the Mad Hatter and now she failed another – August… Pinocchio.

Raising her hand she touched his wooden face with her fingertips as gently as she could, "I broke the curse…" She whispered again as she bent down to press her face against his. "Come back." She added with a small kiss to the corner of his lips, "I need your help… I need _you._" Emma pulled away from him and stood but not before brushing the right side of his face one last time. "I'll fix this… I promise." She said as convincingly as possible.

She took the door handle in her hand, ready to walk out like she had the first time; shocked and dismayed but was stopped when there was a loud slapping sound on the mattress. With her heart racing in excitement she spun around and looked to see that August was now kicking his left leg as hard as he could against the soft mattress.

Hopeful she ran over to the bed and stilled his leg with both of her hands to let him know she was there. "I'm here August; I'm not leaving until you come back to me." She assured.

X.x.X.x

Slowly but surely he did start to come back to her, starting with his legs then his arms and Emma was still waiting anxiously for his frozen chest and face to go back to normal. "I know I've been talkin' this whole time and haven't really thought about this but… I really hope you can hear me." She laughed.

Since August had shown signs of coming back to life Emma had been talking to him to assure him she was there along with the consistent touch that she provided and now that his arms were flesh again she had taken his hand back into both of hers. When he squeezed her hand she felt her heart flutter and the world just got a little less heavy – he was going to be okay.

Finally after what seemed a terrifyingly long time he took his first breath soon after he was able to move his eyes and before long he was fully flesh. "You saved me." He rasped his throat raw.

"I told you I would." She whispered turned his hand around in her own hands nervously, "I thought you were really gone…"

"How'd you find me…?" August looked around and his face fell from the smile it was in moments before. "We're still in my room…" He observed and she nodded.

"Yeah, the curse… it didn't send us back to the Enchanted Forest it kept us here but… well…"

"I heard the rest…" He smirked and nudged her leg playfully.

Blushing she nudged his hand back and he flinched dramatically she gasped and quickly started to apologize but stopped when she noticed his wide smile and she punched him in the arm. "O-ow! That really did hurt." He whined like a child and Emma just rolled her eyes.

They fell into silence and she began to fiddle with the bed sheets while he just watched her from where he was laying. "Thank you…" He said suddenly, breaking the silence – bringing Emma to look back at him. "For coming back for me…" He elaborated.

"I need your help" She shrugged like it was nothing and simple as that.

"I already told you… you don't need my help. You proved it by bringing me back…" He whispered and sat up on the bed. "You broke the curse Emma." He smiled and took her hand in his.

Emma sighed and covered the back of his hand with her other hand, "Then I _want_ you to help me." She said before rolling her eyes, "I'll even make you my deputy if you want but we need everyone against Regina before she takes over the entire world with her dark voodoo."

"Magic," He corrected.

Rolling her eyes again she sighed, "Fine, 'magic'." She paused, "With me?"

He sat up even more and then leaned forward so that he and Emma were almost nose to nose, "I made the mistake of leaving you once, it won't happen again." He promised, resisting the urge to kiss her while she was close but he remembered her kiss and resisted in good faith that she'd say something when she was ready.

With a small smile she squeezed his hand, "Alright wood man… let's get a move on." Regina may have been on the 'good side' when helping Henry but she was still the evil queen and Storybrooke was not going to stop until she went down like she was supposed to in the story she grew up listening to, Disney style.

X.x.X.x

_FYI – Disney style is when the dwarves push her off a cliff. ;) _

_Too long? What can I shave off?_

_Or is it okay? Longer maybe? (prob not but hey, I'd love to hear that you liked it at least)_

_For a continuation go to "Where the Heart Is" for a further look into August/Emma – but it's actually a Graham/Emma… there's still some cute August/Emma though. Promise._

_Go to my profile and look it up if you're interested._


End file.
